About

29.6.11

I have about 40 colleagues, and I'm slowly but surely getting to know
each of them. One of the coolest things I've observed is that they
really like hanging out with each other. On top of that, they are very
welcoming & friendly to me. Not surprised. Bulgarians have
continually impressed me in that aspect.

Thought you might enjoy getting to know some of these people, whom I
will probably get to know VERY well. I am using code names just in
case...

We'll call the first "Gold"... she is an absolute sunshine. She's
always smiling, always cheerful. One of those people who immediately
make you feel included. Thankfully, she walks the same direction I do
for a bit :)

Then, there's "Health," a new friend of mine, who also walks my way.
She's even gone so far as to call me when she leaves her apartment so
we can meet in the mornings, too! Her son is a designer (clothes and
jewelry)... she's already told him that I want to see some of his
stuff. Sweet!

There's a gentleman, whom we'll call "John," who knows where we could
go camping, closeby to Plovdiv. He also was nice enough to buy some
sunflower seeds for everyone today :)

Another gentleman, "Happy," helped me carry a lot of the household items I bought from the local market. Very convenient.

"Anne" lives VERY close to us, and she reminds me of a picturesque
grandma. She's always smiling and patting me on my shoulder, asking me
how I'm doing. Always makes me feel welcomed.

"Classy," I found out today, LOVES dogs. I knew I liked her... the
reason I found out is because, while we all were outside eating
sunflower seeds (hard at work), she bought a danish and was feeding it
to a local street puppy (weeks old)! He was adorable and I loved her
compassion for him.

The young lady who works at the canteen is "Jane." I don't think she
meets a stranger. She has me as "a guest" (behind the counter)
everytime I come to buy something, and is trying to get me to come over
to teach her to make sushi. I had no idea I was an expert :) I came
over today for coffee for a bit, and got to meet her friendly cat.

For now, the last, but not least is my wonderful helper, "December."
Voluntarily, she has sat in my English classes everyday this week to
help me manage the kids (especially since I'm still learning
Bulgarian). She gives me tips, and makes sure the kids are listening. I
really appreciate her attitude and friendliness because she lost a
toddler 6 months ago today. My heart just goes out to her and her
family.

Writing this post has made me even more thankful for my current
situation. It's not easy getting to know people in another culture
where another language is spoken (many of our readers know exactly what
I'm talking about). But, these people have made these barriers seem not
as draining, and they, sometimes, even seem to disappear.

27.6.11

We had a very relaxing weekend. On Sunday, we decided to walk to the center, find a cafe, and just chill out for a while. It was nice... especially since it was in the low 70's and breezy. Perfect.

A few days ago, Joy posted some pictures from her route to/from work. Here are some pictures from this weekend, mostly on our way to the cafe.

First, here's Joy's name in Bulgarian! This is the sign for a little Kindergarten near our apartment:

Then, we have the International Fair location... it happens every May and September. This next event looks right up Randall's alley!

Next, we crossed over the Maritsa River where we found a fisherman. We know quite a few folks back home that would LOVE to get in on this activity...

After the river, there is an orthodox seminary for high school boys. We'll tell more about it later, but we went to their 6:30 services last night. It was very interesting :)

Close by, was this wall of a building with Soviet artwork on it. If you look closely, you can find Randall!

After grabbing something to eat, we made it to the outdoor cafe. We absolutely love how Europe happens outside throughout the summer.

After hanging out for a while (and skyping with Joy's parents!), we wandered around and found this guy playing the Bulgarian bagpipes:

We also found an Orthodox church and were impressed with this parsonage. Very cozy.

Almost back home, we found this hilarious advertisement... it's encouraging males to leverage their finances so as not to have to live with their mother until they retire :) Though, this guy doesn't have too bad of a situation, if you ask us!

24.6.11

Been here two weeks and I think I've finally figured out the best way to get to work each day! It takes me about 35 minutes to walk there, and, I have to say, a 35-minute commute to work, walking, is so much more heavenly than driving a car. Goodness. Makes me want to be a dog-walker, when I get back to the States!

Thought I'd share some of the wonderful and, sometimes, weird, things I see everyday...

First, a really colorful bus stop. If I were a giant, I'd pick it up and play with it!

The next one is Scary, Mr. Scary. I know chefs are supposed to be a little plump and boisterous, but I just can't stare at this for too long. Egh! He's right outside the restaurant with the dinosaurs we found last weekend... and, he gives me the heebie-jeebies.

This one makes me want to get a little pet! But, alas... this pet shop has no puppies. And, they won't get any either. Sigh. Those puppies are false advertisement...

Zone The, people... Zone The. Who would have thought that incorrect English usage could be so entertaining! Sometimes Google translator just doesn't cut it. But, it sure does make for a good giggle or two every now-and-then!

This one is a picture of the way Bulgarians remember their dead. This one has caught my eye for a while for two reasons... one, he's so young and, two, he died the day we arrived in Bulgaria.

The next one is of "Royal City"... a beautiful, new apartment complex in a nice neighborhood. However, my colleagues tell me that no one lives there because it's new and expensive. Sounds like a LOT of places in the States, right now.

And, here's some serious motivation to keep the pounds off. There's not room enough for the two of us on this sidewalk, car!

And, last, but not least... here's my classroom (at least for the summer)!

8.6.11

Last night, our dear Cultural Center director, Nikolai, and a few other Bulgarians, put on a little goodbye party for the 6 of us. There was an abundance of sandwiches, beer, and "keks," like all good parties should have.

It really meant a lot for them to organize this for us. And, even more so, we enjoyed Nikolai's grandson's piano performance (see last picture). He turns 9 today :)

It's been fun, Borovan! Hope we see you again sometime in the near future...

4.6.11

Having come to Bulgaria as a Peace Corps Volunteer, ready to go to my permanent sight (Plovdiv), I didn't know I would bond so well with my fellow Borovanians at our training site, Americans and Bulgarians, included. Don't get me wrong, I am REALLY looking forward to being an English teacher for the next two years in Plovdiv. It's feeling more and more ideal.

However, there is a continually growing list of things I will miss about being in Borovan that,most likely, will NOT be in Plovdiv...

*All the livestock. Everywhere.

*Free internet in the park.

*The horse carriages.

*Beautiful gardens with fresh fruit and veggies whenever I want them.

*"Bogat Beden" and their lovely staff.

*How friendly everyone is.

*The invigorating soccer, frizbee, and basketball games with all the kids, here.

*My Bulgarian host mom, her family, & her dog. Love them.

*Our PC language trainer. He is the best!

*And, the other 4 American volunteers that have lived with us, struggled with us, laughed with us, and empathized with us over the last 11 weeks. Life in Bulgaria won't be the same without you.

Yes, all good things must come to an end. But, I definitely won't forget the last 11 weeks :)

I'm off to soak up as much as I can of the above before we leave on Friday...